Draft-rigging.



A. O. MATHBR. DRAFT RIGGING. APPLICATION FILED AUG.24,1904.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908,

ALONZO C. MATHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-RIGGING.

No. ceases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed August 2 1904. Serial No. 221,91.

To all 107mm it may concern."

Be it known that I, ALoNzo C. .MATIIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of IlliiiIlOlS, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging, of which the following is a s ecification.

My invention re ates to improvements in draft-i'igging for railway cars.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1. is a plan view L5 of a portion of the car, showing my improved draft-rigging; Fig. 2. is a view similar to Fig. 1. showing theparts in section, and in a different position;- Fig. 3. is a. transverse sectional view as on line 3-3 Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings A represents the longitudinal sills which form part of the car, between said sills is supportedthe draw-bar B, by cross-pieces a. The draw-bar B consists of the bar B, carrying the coupling 18 at one end, and a yoke B secured to the inner end of the bar B by means of bolts or pins 1) and the shoulder I). The said yoke foiis a stirrup which embraces the followerplates C, D and E, havin s rin s F and G located between them. 15210 i followerplate is-prov'ided with projecting lugs formed in the center of the same to support the springs and hold them in their proper positions. The said lugs are formed integrally with said follower-plates so as to orevent them "from shearin of? b the action of the springs.

The fol ower-p ates are free to move in said stirrup, the springs tend to hold the followerlate (3 against the end of the bar B, and the clloWer-plate against the end 11 of the yolte it, the follower-plate D is held in a midway position between the follower lates C and E b the action of the springs F and G upon either side of the same.

On the inner face oi the sills A are bolted" at its ends, thereby avoiding the necessity of providing the lower edges of the housings witlrflanges or other means for su porting the drawbar, or providin its inner ace with strengthening ribs. It'a so permits of'all of the followers being of the same length and playing freely between their respective shoulders or abutments, and it permits'of the parts beingassembled or placed in position more easily than where the ends of the followers must be placed between flanges on the housings. This is accom lished by making the inner faces of the iousings flat and smooth except for the vertical shoulders that extend substantially from one edge to the 7 other. By constructing the parts this manner when it is desired to remove the draw bar for any purpose all'that is necessary is to remove the two plates a and permit the bar and its attachments to drop out, and it can be replaced as easily by simply placing itbetween the housings and securing the plates to the bottom of the sills.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The parts are in their normal position in Fig. 1. and when a strain is placed upon the draw-bar, in the direction of the arrow the springs will be contracted. When an unusual strain is placed upon the draw-bar the parts will assume the position shown in Fig. 2, the follower-plate C will emain fixed against the shoulders h, the follower-plate D will be held by the shoulders 7L2 and the followerlate E will be held by the shoulders 7L so t lat the movement of the springs will be limited and not be crushed. It will be seen that as the follower-plate D when in its normal position as shown in Fig. 1. is midway between the shoulders h and k and that its movement is only one-half that of the follower-plate E or assuming that the drawbar and follower-plate E have a movement of say three inches the follower-plate D will onl have a movement of one-and-one-half inc es, and each s ring will be contracted one-and-one half inches instead of three inches. When the strain is in the direction 0 positc to the arrow the parts will assume tie reverse position from that shown, the follower-plate C will move towards the shoulders h, the follower-plate D will move towardsthe shoulders h, and the followerplatc E will remain in a fixed position against the shoulders It.

By having the follower-plate D located between the springs, short heavy springs fh'sft comprising a eving great powers sf resist-sizes may be seat, and the pressure of the two springs equalized by the fcfiiewer-plate D and Wheri under an unususi strain said fei iower-piste will Contact with the shoulders and take the strain, so that see spring will ns-t beer age-inst the other spring.

' Having thus described my invention 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

The combine ties of car body with. lensitufiiiiel sills having housings bolted to tie ad acent feces t" neieei, ssid housings provided with sheuiders having recesses thereiz-stween, said sills else provided with il-XltllSVflSfl cross pieces secured thereto and. at suitable distances spelt thereon, drew-bar with s EOEQiiZl follower plates having springs mountea tneyebetween, the seats plate having; piety 11 00th Lhreew shdsbly mounted over the upper s,

surfaces of the plates and springs forward ends of the being iseeed in presence at two Witnesses,

ALQNZQ e. fitness es: E. D. PATTERSON; F. L. Wsiem.

inner end eontactin with the res; slate the s and secured to the drew-bar, and said pistes, 

